Remnants
by Enshes
Summary: An intricate web begins to weave itself around Yuuri. Will the love and loyalty of his friends be enough to save him from the forces trying to use him for their dark plans?
1. Premonition

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Kyou Kara Maou! or any of its characters and trademarks. This story was written strictly for entertainment purposes and no profit is being made.

**:****Remnants****:  
A Kyou Kara Maou! Fanfiction Endeavor**

**Timeline: **Takes place after Season 2 (about a year), however Season 3 and the OAVs are disregarded. Some elements (the character Saralegui and Shinou's return) are molded into the story, however.

**Author's Notes: **This is my first KKM fic, and as such, I will try my hardest to keep the characters as 'real' to themselves as possible. Please note that there may be some OOCness due to the serious tone of this story. I don't do typical "romance", so pairings aren't anything I can talk about. But what I can say is that as far as canon pairings, my cold heart beats for Wolfram and Yuuri. ;)

If you notice any mistakes regarding locations/names/other canonical stuff relating to the KKM world, please let me know through a review or an e-mail (address is on my profile page), as I want to make this as great a fic as I can. That said, thank you for taking the time to read my story and please enjoy!

**Chapter One:**_**  
Premonition**_

_Ink flowed over parchment, led by a gentle hand. The truth of everything that was about to happen had settled over her in a permanent mesh of melancholy, and even the memories of the smiling faces of those who loved her were unable to break the spell that had taken hold. She knew there was no way to escape her destiny, and for the sake of everyone, she knew a sacrifice must be made._

I'm not strong.

_The quill was trembling as her hands began to shake in the gloom. She quickly dipped the feather pen back into the inkwell and captured her right hand in her left, lacing her fingers together and feeling the pulse of blood beneath her skin. For now, she was alive. To make her final marks upon the world, to express the thoughts bunched inside her head through the act of writing, that was what must be done before sunrise. The next day would be her last, and it would be busy._

_Even knowing the future, she was powerless to stop the flow of time._

I'm just a girl.

_Faces flashed behind her closed eyes (_when had I closed them?_)_, _people she had shared many joyous moments with, laughed and shared dreams with. Stolen instants in which a simple smile or brief touch had warmed her all the way to the core of her being. Hands stroking golden hair, a slight weight in her lap from the head of her fiancé, looking down with a smile on her face and noting that his usually hard expression was completely relaxed and open. Or the other, dark-haired man whose eyes held numerous mysteries, eyes that sparkled when they met hers after she had placed the pendant over his head and left it to dangle from his neck, catching the sunlight and shooting rays outward. Her father, eyes full of pride the first time she successfully healed an injured soldier with her Maryoku._

I don't want to die like this.

_But she was already resigned. The vibrations coursing through her body ceased, and she picked up the quill, resumed her careful scribing. Someday, someone would find the parchment, read her words and understand, and on that day she might finally, at last, be freed._

What is the truth?  
The things that happened were so needless.  
Yet,  
Had the world not decided to end,  
Would I really have lived at all?

Is life so transient?  
Is love so meaningless?  
The waves of time so coldly distant?  
If I could go back and do things again,  
Would I,  
Could I have changed a thing?

I can feel the wind of creation  
Millions of one  
I would send my words to you upon its wings,  
If I could only remember your name.

* * *

_'Yuuri.'_

Yuuri's eyes shot open to the dark, slowly adjusting to accommodate the thin slips of moonlight that filtered into the room through the mask of his curtains. He squinted, positive as he awoke that he would see his mother's bright face above his as she called his name for a second time and told him to get out of bed and hurry to the table for breakfast. The fact that he was alone in his darkened bedroom did nothing but deepen his confusion. He could have sworn that a soft, feminine voice called to him, pulling him out of his light slumber and back into the world.

He sighed and let his eyelids lower, snuggling deeper beneath his sheets and waiting for sleep to once again return to him. He vaguely wondered what time of night it was but didn't feel the inclination to open his eyes and look at the clock beside his bed. The fact that it was still pitch outside told him everything he needed to know. _Sleep time._

_'Yuuri, please.'_

Eyes opening again, sleep becoming a more distant memory, Yuuri slowly lifted himself off the bed, sitting up and placing his hands over the sheets bunched in his lap. He hadn't imagined the voice that time. It rang clear as a bell in his ears, that light, sweet voice with a pleading edge that stirred something deep within him to action. _Something is wrong._

"H-hello?" he half-whispered, voice fading in the darkness. He cringed at the pathetic way his word had cracked the instant it escaped his lips, and swallowed thickly. He could have used a quick swig of water to quench the dry ache in his throat. "Is someone there?"

_Silly,_ he thought. Of course no one would be there in his bedroom in the middle of the night. Certainly not a girl calling his name and asking for...

'_Help. Yuuri. Please help me.'_

The voice remained close but distant, a paradox that his puzzled mind couldn't begin to figure out. He shook his head, forgetting completely about sleep and shifting his legs off the side of the bed. The least he could do was turn on his light and make sure that he was indeed alone in the room. Surely he was just imagining things, that voice was just a ghost of something in his head.

_Familiar, though. If I could only place it._

_'Yuuri. Please listen to me. I-- I can't talk for much longer. I need you...'_

With a start, hand frozen as it had begun to reach for the light, Yuuri recognized the voice. He had heard it many times before, in visions, memories. _Julia!_

His head whirled around, knowing that even as he searched for the woman, it was all in vain. There was no way he was going to suddenly see her when she was not only dead but hadn't belonged on his current Earth even when she was alive. Still, where was her voice coming from then, to sound so perfectly clear in his ears? She had never spoken those words before to him, so he couldn't even point to a poignant memory as the culprit. Was he losing it?

_No, that's silly. I'm probably just... really tired. I should get back to bed._

But his feet refused to move from their spot by the door. He realized his entire body was stiff, each muscle tensed and almost aching from the exertion. He was waiting.

"Julia?" he managed to murmur.

_'Yuuri. Come now. Please. I need--'_

He was drawn. Water. A desperate longing filled his mind, fueling him to move. To hear Julia's voice in such a melancholic state, to feel her pain to the depths of his (_her_) soul, he moved out of the need to help her. To calm her fears and answer her call. _Where are you? Julia? What's happening to you?_

Before he could fully comprehend the ramifications of his actions, he was plunging into the depths of the nearest source of water in his bathroom, using his new-found powers to embark upon the journey. He was quite comfortable at making the trip now, after the first few shaky times, and he closed his eyes, knowing that the next time he felt air upon his face it would be in the land of Shin Makoku.

The cool breeze fanned across his dripping face, carrying the delicate scent of lilac and roses upon its wings. He slowly opened his eyes to a blue sky and sat up, shaking water from himself and brushing his hands across his eyes. Everything was extremely bright. His eyes were taking their time in adjusting to the stark contrast. He waited to hear the voices of Conrad, Wolfram, Ulrike, or any of the others who would usually be there to greet him when he arrived in their world.

Instead, an unfamiliar, "Oh my!" startled his ears and drew his attention, eyes falling upon a stranger in the place of his friends. He felt instantly sheepish at being seen like this in front of a person who was no doubt a guest visiting Blood Pledge Castle. He could have timed it better. His hand fell behind his head in an embarrassed gesture and he smiled a wide, goofy grin. "Ah, hi," he spoke to the figure, whose specific features were obscured by the bright sunlight at its back.

His self-deprecating display was interrupted by the feel of cold metal beneath his chin. He swallowed thickly, aware suddenly of how sharp the blade pressed against his neck was when the involuntary gesture forced his skin more firmly against the weapon. His eyes slid to the side to glance at the owner of the sword, meeting a cold, utterly humorless gaze. The man's face was a thick slab of stone, unreadable and bland. Yuuri didn't know what to say, was actually afraid to speak lest the movement cause his throat to press too roughly into the sword. He had already figured out that there was no way he could possibly be inside his own castle.

_Someone having a weapon even pointed at me is a crime, isn't it?_

"Now, now, Beries, he didn't look like he was going for my jugular," the surprised voice from before said in a bemused tone. The sword wavered a bit. "Let's at least hear what the boy has to say before eviscerating him, shall we?" The sword finally fell away, and Yuuri breathed a deep sigh of relief, watching as the tall, dark-haired man stepped back and sheathed his blade, keeping his hand over the hilt and continuing to eye Yuuri with suspicion.

Yuuri turned his attention to the other man, grateful to have been saved but still too confused to do much else than sit in the cold water and stare. A hand was offered to him, the fingers slim and long, an extremely elegant form. Yuuri hesitated before placing his hand into the fold of the other, allowing himself to be pulled from the water. He stood in between the two men, dripping wet and beginning to feel chilly as gusts of wind raced past his damp skin and through his wet clothes. His eyes fell upon the man who had helped him and he was surprised to find that he was extremely beautiful and feminine, a true picturesque bishounen. A thick whip of blonde hair brushed the tips of his shoulders and continued in a waterfall down his back. Mischievous golden eyes twinkled behind lavender glasses, matching the smirk upon his full lips.

_He has to be a girl. No, what am I saying, the voice was clearly masculine. But look at that skin and hair! Oh, silly Yuuri, this is the land of bishounen, I mean, what about Günter and Wolfram? No wonder there are so many guys out there dating each other!_

"So now, why don't you tell us what you're doing here in the castle fountain? It's kind of unexpected, you see, to get a strange guest without being informed by the guards. So I hope you can excuse my friend Beries' concern in such a matter," the pretty man smiled warmly at Yuuri, causing his cheeks to slightly darken in light of his frivolous thoughts. _What the heck am I doing thinking about this stupid stuff? There's bigger issues to worry about, the first being the fact that I'm in the wrong castle!_

"Ah, ah sorry!" Yuuri apologized hastily, bowing slightly to the taller man on his left. His eyes shifted to the stone man before settling back on the friendlier face. "You see, this is the wrong castle. Well--! I mean, I should be in Shin Makoku right now. I don't really understand why I'm here." Realizing he was babbling, he struggled his mouth closed with a forced smile, preparing himself for the questions sure to begin coming his way.

"Shin Makoku." Golden eyes narrowed and shifted to the other man, a frown of concentration forming. "That would explain the hair and eyes, don't you think?"

The other man, _Beries was it? _caught the stare and turned a penetrating glare to Yuuri, dark eyes becoming hard slits in his chiseled face. "A Mazoku should not be here in Small Shimaron," he said without a trace of light in his voice. The hand twitched upon the sword's hilt, fingers clenching.

Yuuri realized he was in a precarious situation. _Small Shimaron? That was a really bad miss on my part_, he thought with a frown. _Then again, in human lands, my Maryoku should be suppressed... I mean, I can't even get my way out of this by going back right now. _He shook his head to clear it of such frivolous thoughts. First things first, Mission Don't Let The Humans Slay Me For Inadvertently Trespassing. "You see, I didn't mean to land here. I honestly mean no harm and would very much like to just be on my way back home to Shin Makoku at the moment."

"Yes, of course." Blonde Bishounen was still frowning at him, lips pursed. "Still, this is most peculiar. One of my advisers had a, well, let's say premonition that something like this would happen."

It was Yuuri's turn to frown, forehead wrinkling as his confusion deepened. "Adviser? This? Really?"

The blonde's face lit up, brilliance nearly matching the sun at his back. Yuuri would have taken a step back and shielded his eyes, but he somehow managed to avoid the impulse and consequently didn't have to look like a fool for it. "Yes. If this is indeed parallel to his predictions, something very wonderful is about to happen. Beries, let's take him inside and get him into some dry clothes. I hope you won't mind wearing some of my things while we set yours out to dry."

"Your Majesty," Beries said, concerned. "Are you sure we can--"

"Of course," the other man cut him off with a dashing smile. "Syrinx has yet to steer us wrong with one of his predictions. Besides, _he_ seems genuine." Yellow eyes raked over him, and Yuuri tensed at the inspection, smiling nervously out of habit. "I trust he has no ill intentions towards us."

"As you wish, your Majesty," Beries relented, falling in step behind them.

_Majesty?_ The word and its implications hit Yuuri like a brick when his mind caught up. "Are you, um, royalty?" he asked the blonde, who rewarded him with a brighter smile.

"Ah, yes. Pardon me for not introducing myself properly sooner. This situation is, well, a bit unorthodox as I'm sure you're aware. I am Saralegui, the king of Small Shimaron." He tilted his head slightly forward as he made the introduction, silken strands of hair falling over his shoulders to brush against his high cheekbones. He lifted his head, eyes trained on Yuuri, and waited patiently, hands absently toying with the loose locks next to his face.

Yuuri's eyes opened a bit wider at the revelation. _King!_ "W-Wow, I mean, well, pleased to meet you. Very much. I'm Yuuri Shibuya, the Maou. Um..." The introduction came too fast for his brain to intervene, but the mental kick came as quickly as the word thoughtlessly escaped his lips. He could hear Wolfram's voice in his mind, scolding him for the blunder. _You tell a human country who isn't exactly on our good side that you're the Maou? What if they decide to use you as a hostage and start making demands? Are you that dense, Yuuri? Pfft, of course you are, you're a wimp!_ Well, it was too late. He couldn't think of a word that began with the 'maou' sound to clumsily turn his proclamation into. '_Maou'se? No, that made no sense in any context._

"Maou! This is even more wonderful than I thought!" Saralegui clapped his hands together and practically shimmered at Yuuri, eyes beaming. "Would you believe that I've been meaning to set up a meeting with you for the longest time? Unfortunately some things have come up, but this must be fate to meet like this! I've heard so much about you from our neighboring Caloria, and Lady Flynn can't say enough good about you!"

Yuuri was happy that the Maou bomb hadn't detonated like he feared, although he couldn't share his companion's joy at the fateful encounter. The mention of Flynn did some good, since he knew the lady would be sure to help him get across the sea and back to Shin Makoku once he explained the situation. He forced his mind to the current predicament, after all, Small Shimaron was no longer under the iron-fisted rule of Big Shimaron and would be more able to join into an alliance with his country. Still, what did any of this have to do with the very thing that had brought him across the worlds?

_Julia..._

"...would love to have you meet him, but he's very reclusive, more so than me even!" Saralegui was chattering on and Yuuri forced himself to pay attention. _The task at hand, focus on the task at hand. There's nothing I can do about Julia._ There was silence, and Yuuri realized the young king was waiting for his input. "Oh, yeah, well, it's okay," he stated blandly, hoping that the generic words were a good fit for whatever the other man had said.

Saralegui nodded sympathetically, placing a warm hand on top of Yuuri's cold, damp arm. "I'm sorry, I bet it's hard for you to think straight with everything that's happened and on top of being soaking wet and cold. Spring brings the loveliest flowers but it's just too darn chilly sometimes." Laughter like beautiful rain showers and the hand moved slightly higher as Saralegui gripped his elbow and pulled him closer. "We'll have you warmed up in no time. Beries, please go ahead of us and tell the servants to prepare some warm clothing and tea."

"Your Majesty," Beries' tone was full of reservations, as sharp as the crisp blade of his fatal sword.

"Please hurry," Saralegui insisted, unmoved by the other man's concern. He was steering Yuuri into the gorgeous sprawling castle, although Yuuri was still a bit too bewildered to fully take in the beauty and opulence of his surroundings. He felt like his head was still underwater or that maybe he was trapped in a dream. Julia's voice continued to echo through his mind, her pleas an unsolved mystery he couldn't begin to make sense of. His eyes fell upon Saralegui and he realized with a start that not even Wolfram had ever walked in such a... familiar way with him.

_Like we're about to get wed in front of a preacher!_

Yuuri discreetly tried to detangle himself, and Saralegui tastefully took the hint and stepped away from Yuuri, releasing his arm. They were walking down a long hallway lined with portraits of stern-looking men dressed in royal robes and rich furs. Yuuri let his eyes wander as he followed Saralegui down the glistening corridor. If those men were indeed the previous kings, he couldn't imagine which one of them was Saralegui's father. None of them resembled the beautiful blonde in the slightest.

"Everything should be ready inside the room. We work fast," Saralegui said with a chuckle, stopping in front of a mahogany-colored door and winking slyly at Yuuri. "Your Majesty Maou, please make yourself at home. I'll be back in ten minutes to take you to my formal chambers, and we can talk comfortably there." With a slight bow, the king disappeared in a brilliant flash of flaxen hair down the hallway.

Yuuri pushed open the door and looked around the spacious room. A four-post bed was pressed against the back wall, lacy mosquito-netting draping across the three exposed sides and catching the sun rays that worked their way into the room from the exposed window. The carpet was thick, ruby-colored lush, and the walls were a mute beige decorated with small paintings and other treasures. Despite the obvious air of nobility that the orderly room possessed, Yuuri couldn't help but get a cozy sensation from the space. The rooms in Blood Pledge castle were at least twice that size, and it was easy to feel lost inside them.

Quickly discarding his wet pajamas (_Oh God, that's embarrassing to have the king of another country see me in those!), _he changed into the clothes laid out upon the back of a wooden chair, noticing that they were slightly large on him. Saralegui was taller and probably a bit more bulky, he admitted, pulling dark socks over his feet and peering down at the steaming cup of tea resting upon a lacy coaster on the bedside table. He lifted the liquid to his lips and blew, taking an experimental sip to test the temperature. He drank in small sips, enjoying the way the hot beverage warmed a trail through his body. It tasted of thick honey and earthy leaves with a slight tang of lemon. _Very nice._

Maybe this was what he came here for. Not the tea, of course, but rather the destination. Maybe Julia calling to him was all some sort of trick to get him to try and shift worlds at the exact moment he would land in Small Shimaron instead of the usual place. He remembered that Saralegui had mentioned something of an adviser predicting his arrival. _What if he actually called me here? Well, that would be strange since it was Shinou who did that to begin with, and he was extremely powerful. Hmm._ While he was lost in thought, he finished his tea and absently placed the empty cup back upon the coaster. He was heading for the door when it swung open and Saralegui peered in, a sheepish look on his face.

"Oh dear, I meant to knock first, really," he said in a breath, shaking his head at his own clumsiness. "Luckily you're all decent and ready to go, your Majesty Maou. Please follow me."

"You know, I'd actually be happier if you just called me Yuuri," Yuuri said quickly, inwardly dismissing the formalities as unnecessary. He realized it was pretty ingrained to the entire world culture, but that didn't mean he couldn't try to change it. "It's my name, after all."

"How wonderful! You must return the favor and call me Sara," Saralegui said cheerfully. Yuuri's somewhat dismal mood brightened considerably in the presence of the happy king. He couldn't imagine that such a person had been the cause of strife in political matters, but then, knowledge on that front had never been his forté. He wished for Gwendal or Günter to be there and help him out with his lack of knowledge on all things politics, because at the moment all he knew was that if he could get Small Shimaron on his side, his dream of a peaceful world would be more in reach than ever before.

_Then all that's left will be the big guy, right? It might even convince them to join us if their small counterpart agrees to the alliance._

He decided to tread carefully, watching as Sara practically floated down the hallway, arms spread wide, and he noticed how different his style of dress was from the black garment Yuuri was always given to wear. Sara's outfit was white with navy blue trimmings, a high collar and flowing coattails that almost reached his ankles. The garments shifted and fluttered with each deliberate step, and Yuuri was given the distinct impression of a butterfly's wings gently unfolding to shine against a backdrop of light. He almost flushed as he realized he was seriously glamorizing the individual with almost a schoolboy's crush-type of intensity. _Remember that whole 'boys are icky' thing? Stick with that, Shibuya._

"Now, then, Yuuri," Sara said, leading him into a vast chamber with muted golden walls adorned with sprawling murals of interlaced purple vines. A thin carpet of red outlined a path from the door to the throne conspicuously placed in the center of the back wall. The wall itself was a line of open windows, dazzling with the light of an indirect sun, spraying bursts of brilliance throughout the room. Yuuri cautiously made his way inside, recognizing it to be the audience room that was in some ways a mirror of his own. Sara closed the thick doors behind him and walked past Yuuri to sit in the center of his large throne, a smile etched on his face. His legs crossed and his face tilted, palm cradling cheek. "We can talk abut anything without worrying about anyone interrupting us."

"Interrupting?" Yuuri struggled to keep up, walking forward until he was about the usual distance his subjects would be when they were facing him in the audience room of Blood Pledge Castle. "Well, erm, we should definitely talk about an alliance between our nations, I think."

"I appreciate the fact that you seem to trust me so implicitly," Sara drawled, his words coated with a thick layer of honey as they spilled from his lips. His golden eyes had captured Yuuri's in a penetrating stare. "But let me be blunt. My nation may not be in any position to offer aide to anyone at the moment. You see, Big Shimaron is nearly in shambles, and we can no longer turn to them for assistance in these matters. And there are certain issues bearing down on us in the present times."

"Issues?" Yuuri's teeth worked his lower lip, though his insides were lighting up with a faint glimmer of hope. Things had been so quiet lately that when he spent time in Shin Makoku, it was usually studying with Günter until his eyes nearly crossed from all the information seeking to pry its way into his mind. Though he would never wish ill upon another nation, if there _was_ some horrible thing happening, he was more than willing to drop everything in the instant and make a move to rectify things, in the process embarking on another adventure. _Of course, I'd need Conrad and the others, it wouldn't be nearly as fun... I mean, safe! to go alone._

"Yes. You see, the effects of the four boxes' power was felt all across the entire world, at least that's what most reports claim occurred. I can tell you that, not shortly after you diffused the tragic situation, we sent an expedition out to sea to check on some of our sister islands. You might or might not know, but we do have numerous settlements, some a great distance across the ocean from us, and we needed to know if they were okay. For some reason, our attempts to contact them via messenger birds were unsuccessful, so you can imagine that we were worried."

Yuuri nodded, waiting for Sara to continue the tale. For some reason, uneasiness was burning within, coming in fiery tongues to lap the pit of his stomach. Earlier words returned to him, unbidden. _Please help me._

Sara's eyes flashed dark behind his glasses as he continued. "We sent a rescue ship with a few of our skilled Houseki users, urging them to be cautious and send word back to us right away if they spied anything suspicious in their travels. It was bit over a week before we received word back from them. They told us of a strange land mass in the ocean we were most certain had never been there before. To remember exactly how it was described..." Frown twisting full lips, the young king leaned forward in his throne, appearing to struggle with his memories before continuing, "a cage of twisting spines, rising from the depths of a frozen ocean. With the use of a handheld spyglass, they were able to see wreckage of what we now assume was our other expedition, crashed upon the edge of that jagged barrier. They were afraid to approach it and voiced their intentions to return home at once."

Yuuri was fully engrossed in Sara's recollection, mind struggling to draw up images from the vivid imagery of the island's description. _Twisting spines, a cage in a frozen ocean._ He couldn't imagine such a phenomenon, and it bothered him a little. He had seen many fantastic and unbelievable things since his first trip into the other world, but nothing as strange as that in a natural architecture. _But clearly, it can't be natural_. "Did they return home safely?" he questioned.

Sara nodded, leaning back in his throne and interlocking his delicate fingers together under his chin. "Yes, they came back to us unharmed, a bit shaken by the sight but otherwise in perfect health. One of the men said he felt watched, almost haunted when he gazed upon the strange place. I thought perhaps it was the knowledge that comrades of his had most likely crashed and lost their lives there. I still can't say for sure, as I haven't seen the place with my own eyes. I've wanted to go, but things have been so rough here lately, I didn't think it wise to leave things..."

"Of course," Yuuri agreed, nodding emphatically. He could sympathize with the other boy's plight. It was difficult to lead a country.

Golden eyes moved shyly in his direction, watching him from behind violet-tinted lenses with a bit of a shine to them. Looking closer, Yuuri was surprised to see the hint of tears within the saffron depths, a look of sheepish hope coloring Sara's cheeks a soft pink. "Oh, I feel so silly to talk so forwardly about this. But I think I must let you know how grateful I am that you've come. Syrinx, our adviser who foretold your presence here, told us that we wouldn't have anything to worry about once you were finally here. I have to say that I'm just so relieved. I know it must sound silly to you, to trust the words of another so easily."

"Nonsense!" Yuuri said with a quick wave of his hand. "We have a guy like that back in Shin Makoku. He's my friend, a reincarnation of the Great Sage. He's very good at predicting certain things and being all mysterious and kinda annoying, like he always knows more that he's willing to tell you." He fastened his eyes on Sara with a large grin on his face. "I won't let anything bad happen to your country and your people, Sara. I want everyone to live happily and in peace."

"Yuuri." Sara's smile matched his own, gaze sending wordless thanks in his direction. "This truly was fate, don't you think?"

Yuuri's shoulders lifted in a hapless shrug. "I'm not the one to know about that. But I am happy I ended up here and got to talk to you." He flushed a bit, as silence descended and Sara's beautiful eyes were still searching his face. "I- uh- well, I should really get to Shin Makoku, though. I can't really use my powers here to get back to Earth, and we should probably make an official alliance or something."

Sara jumped up and rushed over to his side, coat swirling around him like a cape of whitewater. "Of course, they must be worried for you, and you for them. Ah, Caloria is on friendly terms with you, are they not? It's not too far a journey to get there, and of course they'll be willing to lend you a ship. I'll be happy to take you there in my carriage. I would even hope that you would allow me to accompany you on the trip. You are so gracious and kind, but would your regents not want to meet with me and make sure of my dedication to this alliance?"

Yuuri smiled. "That would be great, I'm sure they would be happy to meet with you and see your sincerity." He watched as Sara gently engulfed his hand in a warm grip, blushing slightly at the familiar touch but deciding that it would be rude to pull away too quickly. The somewhat awkward moment was interrupted by a knock on the door behind them. "Do come in," Sara said with a hint of impatience in his voice. Taking the interruption to disengage himself from the grasp, Yuuri turned around to see Beries enter the room, standing in front of the open doors and bowing slightly.

"Your Majesty, our visitor's clothing has been cleaned and is finished drying." Yuuri noted with some embarrassment that his blue pajamas were nestled in the other man's folded arms.

Sara chortled at his side. "Dear Beries, I suspect our friend doesn't wish to wander around in what appear to be nightclothes, however, thank you for bringing them over." He strode over to Beries and took the garments from him, shaking them free of their folds and holding them out to inspect. "An unusual pattern and color, but it's not bad," he commented, glancing over at Yuuri with a sly smile dancing upon his lips. He pushed the sleeves back and refolded the clothing carefully, talking quickly as he worked. "Beries, prepare the carriage and let the advisers know that I'm going to be taking a short journey with Yuuri to his homeland Shin Makoku. Be assured that nothing will dissuade me from this course of action, so please don't entertain dissension. As soon as you are able, join us in the courtyard and bring some things for a trip."

As Beries exited to see to his master's requests, Sara turned back to Yuuri with a large, Cheshire cat smile. "Would you believe I already have a bag stuffed to the brim with clothes for this trip? If you like, I can take you to my wardrobe, and I can pick out a few more outfits for you to bring along as well."

Yuuri's cheeks darkened. He had a feeling Sara was going to be an exhausting person to travel with. Then he chuckled inwardly. _That's not such a bad thing_. He was feeling lighter, as though heavy sheets that had covered him had blown away with a strong gust of sweet-smelling wind. He could no longer hear Julia's pleas or see her longing gaze inside the backdrop of shaded memories, eyes clouded with indescribable pain.

_She had stopped calling to him. He was beyond her reach in an instant, and she was once again held back by the magical cage-seal, stretching into the spacial ether, leaving nowhere for her cries to go. They stayed inside her empty world, for she no longer had the will to struggle against her captors, the bars._

_They were endless._


	2. Close

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Kyou Kara Maou! or any of its characters and trademarks. This story was written strictly for entertainment purposes and no profit is being made.

**:****Remnants****:  
A Kyou Kara Maou! Fanfiction Endeavor**

**Author's Notes: **Thanks for the encouragement and reviews, I HATE writing first chapters, they always seem to bog down with details and needing to set up the action for the rest of the story. Things pick up from here, so once again, I hope you enjoy.

I do my own error-checking, and although I re-read several times and use spell check, sometimes I miss stuff (lazy brain). Also, right now my "O" key is being a bit of a pain and not always typing out the letter when pressed. So please excuse any mistakes and feel free to point them out. Thanks!

**Chapter Two:  
**_**Close**_

It was a perfect, fresh day in Shin Makoku when Yuuri finally reached the end of his somewhat lengthy journey with the king of Small Shimaron. It was good to be home, at least, that's what Yuuri felt in the five seconds that passed from when he entered the front gate of the castle before he was spotted by his jealous fiancé.

"Yuuri! Where in the world have you been? What are you wearing? And why are you riding so close to that pretty boy?" Wolfram's angry words rose above the general din the Maou's entrance had created and caused the dark-haired boy to flinch reactively. He had spent many long moments on the ship pondering how to handle this very scenario, but anything he had managed to cook up had fled his mind the instant he stepped off the boat. His lips worked themselves into a sheepish smile as he tried to find something to say that would diffuse the situation before it ballooned into something unnecessary.

"Wolfram," he started, before being abruptly cut off by a long arm winding its way around his neck. He was jerked like a paper doll down from his horse and towards Wolfram's side, and the blonde placed himself firmly between Yuuri and Sara, whose expression was blank as he watched Wolfram's posturing. "Why, he's just wearing some of my old things," he said in a neutral tone, shifting the glasses on his nose and meeting Wolfram's strong glare. He gracefully dismounted, keeping one hand on the brown horse's neck. "He came here in his nightclothes, after all, and it didn't seem right to have him walk around like that."

"Hmph. Well, don't get any ideas. I'm sure he didn't tell you that he already has a fiancé because he's a cheating wimp, but the fact is that he isn't available," Wolfram said in a haughty voice, his nose tilting slightly in the air as he spoke to the amused king. Meanwhile, Yuuri struggled to free himself of the almost debilitating grip, black eyes searching for Conrad or Günter's assistance.

Sara raised a slim eyebrow, the corners of his mouth twitching as he observed the rather undignified scene. "Well, I can't say I'm surprised that such a good looking young man is taken," he spoke with a lilting tone in his voice, his eyes seeking out Yuuri underneath Wolfram's arm. Almost too softly to hear (_though probably at least audible on purpose, Yuuri suspected)_, he murmured, "Though I would have expected a much more spectacular betrothed than a run-of-the-mill soldier."

Wolfram, having heard the backhanded comment, stiffened and released Yuuri so quickly he almost fell to the ground. The blonde's hand hovered dangerously close to his sword. "What was that?"

Gwendal coughed loudly, apparently deciding to put an end to the dramatics that had nothing whatsoever to do with the business at hand. "Welcome to Shin Makoku, I'm Gwendal von Voltaire." He nodded curtly instead of reaching out a hand for the other man to shake. Yuuri tilted his head, forever puzzled at the lack of polite greetings exchanged between humans and Mazoku. _I guess they got so used to treating each other like dirt, must be a rough habit to break_, he supposed. _Then again, that's just Gwendal's way._

Sara turned his pearly smile to Gwendal and bowed slightly. "It's my pleasure to meet your wonderful Maou's closest confidants and friends. I'm Saralegui, the current king of Small Shimaron. Yuuri brought me here to negotiate some sort of an alliance between our two nations."

Gwendal coughed again, but this time it was more like a prolonged episode of choking. "Small Shimaron?" he managed to grunt between breaths. "Really."

Yuuri was surprised at the stoic man's reaction and turned back to look at Conrad to see what the older man's face would tell him. Conrad's dark features were placed in a carefully constructed mask of indifference, though the lack of his usual smile might have been a clue that his true reaction was similar to Gwendal's. Wolfram had gritted his teeth and turned away from the young king, facing the castle with an annoyed look on his delicate features.

"There's been some... differences in the past, right?" Yuuri said, cracking the silence with a simplistic question he hoped would destroy the tension that had suddenly cloaked the air. His eyes roved over the faces of his friends, noting for the first time that Günter was absent from the meeting. _Of course, he would have glomped onto me by now otherwise_. "None of that matters, okay? What we're trying to build here isn't dependent on the mistakes of the past."

"Yuuri," Sara said with a touch of awe in his voice.

Yuuri turned a smile to Sara, gesturing for the boy to follow him into the castle. "We need to set you up in one of the guest rooms, and of course you're probably tired and kind of hungry like me, so we can get the maids to make us something to eat."

"Your majesty." Yuuri turned at Conrad's voice, frowning a bit and starting to scold him for not using his regular name. However, the serious look on Conrad's face stopped any urges within Yuuri to speak at all. "May I have a moment to with you alone?"

Yuuri gulped, eyes widening. _Dammit, am I in trouble now?_ "Sure, uhm, I guess... Gwendal, can you show Sara inside and get the maids to prepare a room and food for him?" He wouldn't have asked the older man if anyone else more suitable was in sight, but as it was, his welcome party consisted only of the three brothers, random soldiers, and some other people he thought were servants but couldn't place. Given Wolfram's hostile reaction to the young king, he thought it best to keep them apart as much as possible, so Gwendal was really the only option he could trust.

Gwendal bristled at the order but nodded shortly. "As you wish, your Majesty," he grumbled, waiting for Sara to join him on the stairs. Yuuri watched nervously, standing at Conrad's side as the others slowly filed into the castle, or in the case of the soldiers, made their way towards the training grounds. Wolfram threw the pair a dangerous glance as if to say _don't try anything funny because I'll know and hunt you down _before following Gwendal out of sight.

Yuuri sighed and tried his best to put on an innocent face, "What was it that you wanted, Conrad?"

"This is the first time since you've been switching worlds on your own that you haven't come to the right place, isn't it?" Conrad asked, the mask from before melting into a look of unabashed concern. "Is it hard to get used to moving with your own power, or were you just trying something different to see how it worked?"

Yuuri held up his hands and shook his head quickly. "No, nothing like that at all. I actually was--" He broke off, realizing that he could never tell Conrad that he had felt pulled by Julia into the water and hadn't really been thinking clearly to even notice how his powers had dragged him to the wrong location. His mind raced to think of an alternate explanation, though it felt fundamentally wrong to be lying to Conrad of all people. He forced his mouth into a wide smile. "I wasn't paying attention. I didn't really plan to come here so abruptly, but I just missed you guys and suddenly felt like I needed to see you." _There, not a complete lie. I really did feel like I needed to come, just not for that reason._ "Probably just a one time fluke, then, landing in Small Shimaron."

"Is that so?" Conrad's face relaxed, and he returned Yuuri's smile, placing a gentle arm around the shorter boy's shoulders. "I'd hope so, anyway. I'm happy you were well taken in by the king, though. Gwendal was just talking about the need for us to evaluate the situation over there now that Big Shimaron's dominance has lessened. Though I don't really think he was counting on you bringing the man here to our castle out of the blue." He chuckled, and Yuuri could feel himself falling into the other man's comforting presence. _Everything will be fine. I'm home again._

"I'm really excited about this, though. Sara seems like a really sincere person, and I believe he'll work with us," Yuuri said, following Conrad as the other man made his way up the stairs to the castle's entrance. He entered the castle alongside Conrad and walked the path leading up to Gwendal's office. He figured that once Gwendal was finished setting up Saralegui and getting everything in order, he would come back to that place, and they could more formally talk about the alliance in official terms. _Gwendal will probably have a lot of questions for me. Goody._

"It must be fate," Conrad said with a gentle smile, releasing his arm from Yuuri's shoulders as they walked the long corridor. "Finally on our side, perhaps."

For some reason, Conrad's soothing words had the opposite effect on Yuuri. His smile faltered a bit, and he placed a hand over his stomach, aware of the swarm of butterflies that began to squirm within him. Suddenly, the concept of a kind 'fate' seemed as impossible as a snowflake falling in the middle of a steaming summer. He was sick with the knowledge that if fate indeed existed, it watched them with cold, impassive eyes and that it would continue to exist long after the threads of time had twisted around them, erasing their existence from the world.

He could sense that Julia was trying to tell him something, but she could no longer be heard by his ears alone. He felt sadness overtake him even as he kept a smile on his face lest Conrad notice his sudden change in mood and begin to ask questions he didn't have answers to.

_What does it mean, Julia?_

* * *

_Time. An ever flowing surge fueled by nothing but itself, constantly moving forward to the always expanding shore of fate._

_Captured within its swell an entire world. Had the world existed before the will that inflicted itself upon the cords of time and fate, viciously twisting them into unnatural patterns to accomplish unfathomable goals? Was the world merely a reflection cast by a dying entity as it viewed its life in retrospect, final visions before the eternal dark which nothing living could fathom before it came?_

_Questions without answers._

_The world breathed through the lives of its inhabitants, watching with practiced restraint as they drifted, prey to their emotions, slaves to their passions. Beings despite their godly powers and abilities, desperately hiding their weaknesses and flaws for the fear of others discovering how easily they could be exploited and destroyed. Blissfully unaware of the tremendous weight of their world's past, a time when everything happened naturally instead of through the omnipresent microscope of the artificial overseer._

_That beyond the world lay nothing._

_The world trembled, ropes of chronology tightening as an unexpected billow crashed upon the bank, choking for an instant before giving way, tension melting as everything settled back into the usual places._

_Elsewhere, a new thread danced. _

* * *

_I shouldn't be so jealous,_ Wolfram thought to himself as he paced up and down the hallway leading to the bedroom he shared with Yuuri. His freshly-shined boots clacked loudly upon the hard tile as he practically stomped back and forth, mind stuffed with unbidden thoughts about Yuuri's earlier entrance with the King of Small Shimaron. He could still remember the easy smile on Yuuri's lips and the familiar way his hand brushed the boy's as they ventured past the castle gates on borrowed horses. _Why the hell was that blondie riding so close to Yuuri in the first place? I know he probably didn't see fit to tell the guy a thing about me, but still, to act so openly with someone he just met. I know that's how Yuuri's always been, the cheater, but that guy was more than happy to go along with it!_

Still, even though he knew Yuuri was firm in his delusions about not having inappropriate thoughts about the same gender, that Sara person was just the type of feminine guy that could probably turn a straight guy's attention elsewhere. Much as it was a pain to admit, Saralegui was simply a beautiful-looking person. Absently, Wolfram tossed errant strands of blond hair out of his eyes, knowing that several people in the castle and even outside of it would have had the same thoughts about himself. He had been gazed at his entire life as a bishounen and labeled many ways due to the misconception. _"Look at the pretty boy, won't want to get his little hands dirty with real fighting. We'd better use our swords inside their sheaths, fellas."_ There was always a certain grim satisfaction in kicking the ass of someone who didn't expect him to be able to fight like a real soldier due to his appearance.

Turning, Wolfram slammed his clenched fist into the nearest wall, causing the large painting hanging there to shake precariously. He glared at the soft palette of muted colors (a bowl of fruit still life) hatefully for several beats as a wild mixture of anger and jealousy coursed throughout his veins, causing the fire inside him to swirl in a tempest. He could have alighted an entire forest in that moment, but he figured that even such a show of destruction wouldn't quell the intensity of his feelings. He felt like it was slipping away. His life, _Yuuri_, was falling out of reach, and there was nothing he could do to stop it from happening.

_Ever since the Shinou incident, now that there's no 'big bad' to deal with and work on fighting, Yuuri sees fit to come and go as he pleases,_ Wolfram thought, wincing at the bitter taste that filled his mouth. He had bitten his tongue, and coppery blood was beginning to trickle from the wound. He placed a finger in his mouth, gingerly applying pressure to the sore area. _When he leaves, I never know when, or even if, I will see him again._

Wolfram sighed, dropping his hand and drying his finger on the starchy fabric of his pants. A spot of red appeared amidst the blue, and he was a bit surprised that he had bled so much from such a minor injury. He could no longer taste the acerbic fluid and was thrust back into the web of his thoughts, reflecting fondly on previous adventures with Yuuri and his brothers. _Of course Yuuri would miss those times. Of course he wouldn't look forward to hours of studying the language and history with Günter. But, in the very least, doesn't he at least miss spending time playing that stupid ball game with Conrad or going on picnics with me and Greta?_

As hard as it was to adjust to Yuuri's absence, Wolfram knew that Greta had it even worse than him when it came to the sadness. There were no other children her age to spend time with in the castle, and she had grown dependent on having at least one of her father's to hang out with. Wolfram had been busy with whipping his band of soldiers into fighting shape and had spent regrettably fewer hours with his daughter than even Anissina did by letting her observe her experiments. Now that Yuuri was relatively free of responsibilities when he was there, he got to spend all of his leisure time with Greta. It spoiled the little princess, but by the same token, it hurt her that much more when he took off for Earth and left her again.

_If I could just get that... that _fool _to come around and finalize our engagement, to make us an official _family _for deity's sake, none of this would even be an issue. I wouldn't be so darn concerned every instant he's away that he's violating our vows, and Greta would be comfortable in the knowledge that her father would always come back to spend time with his husband and daughter. _Wolfram snorted at the very thought. He knew that he kept up with the 'farce' of an engagement simply because he _wanted_ to be Yuuri's husband some day, but it probably never crossed Yuuri's mind unless it was being thrown in his face by either Wolfram or one of the others. The old _if-I-can't-see-it, it doesn't exist_ method of coping with unwanted situations.

But his mind had gone over those same thoughts a million times. He could only continue to live his life one day at a time and do the best he could to support Yuuri when he was there. Conrad had always maintained that life was about moments. That coupled with his brother's life philosophy of living each second without regrets was about the only advice sustaining Wolfram in his dire moments of angst. He tried to pull himself out of it as quickly as he could, but it wasn't always easy. _Better to have loved and lost than be trapped in a one-sided, painful love affair that has no hope of ever becoming something substantial. _To Wolfram, Conrad had it easy.

_Everyone knows Julia loved him._

Wolfram turned from the wall when he heard a cough to his left. His green eyes narrowed on the unwelcome visitor as footfalls brought the blonde king closer to Wolfram's side, hands clasped innocently in front of him. Saralegui shifted his yellow eyes to meet Wolfram's angry glower, lips wearing his usual enigmatic smile. "Wolfram von Bielefeld, I presume? Your brother Gwendal saw fit to let me know your name."

"Great," Wolfram shot out in a frustrated sigh of incredulity. "And you are?"

"Oh, my name is Saralegui, but you should probably just call me Sara. Do you mind if I call you Wolf?" Saralegui's eyes were sparkling with poorly concealed arrogance, and Wolfram kept his fists carefully at his sides to avoid from striking out at the annoying boy.

"It's Sir von Bielefeld to you, your Majesty Saralegui," Wolfram said with forced politeness, relaxing his hands from fists and flexing his aching fingers a bit. He tried to pour calm into his restless muscles, but _Sara's_ mere presence was causing his emotions to swirl dangerously.

"If you insist," Sara said with a bit of fake disappointment in his voice. His clasped hands unfurled and moved to locks of silken hair that had fallen forward over his shoulders. He toyed with the golden strands while capturing Wolfram in another intense gaze. "Nonetheless, I'm glad to have found you."

"Why's that?" Wolfram asked, not bothering to hide his blatant suspicion and distrust. It occurred to him that if he acted rudely to Sara, he might get in trouble with Yuuri, but he couldn't help but take out some of his recent frustrations on the closest scapegoat.

Sara smiled, and it was as if thick curtains had blown open and allowed a direct path of sunshine into the dank corridor. Wolfram took a step back, wondering what kind of twisted magic could be powering such an obvious illusion. If he had been a weaker or more trusting person (_like Yuuri_), he believed he would have been fully enchanted by the owner of that smile. "Why, I was hoping you could take me on a personal tour of this lovely castle. I would try to go by myself, but heaven knows I would probably end up lost or somewhere I shouldn't be and get scolded."

Wolfram was shocked by the request. _I could have sworn this guy reciprocated my feelings of 'hate at first sight'. Is there some catch here I'm missing?_ "Thanks, but no thanks. I should probably go and--"

"Oh, I see. I suppose I'll just have to ask Yuuri to take me instead. He's such a dear, I'm positive that he'll--"

Grasping the other boy's arm in a tight hold, Wolfram steered the surprised blonde down the hall and around the corner towards the central area of the castle. "Let's get started, then." Sara let out a small laugh when Wolfram finally released him and stood with his arms folded across his chest, glancing peevishly at their surroundings.

"I thought that might get your attention," Sara said with a giggle in his voice, shifting bangs out of his eyes and lowering his glasses a bit.

"You're used to getting what you want, aren't you? Your Majesty," Wolfram added the address at the end to soften the blow of his earlier sarcastic comment. He didn't like that he had played into Sara's hands, but it was still better than allowing the man unrestricted access to Yuuri. Such a shameless person, who knew what kind of tricks he would employ against his hapless and naive fiancé.

"Mm, maybe a little," Sara admitted. He wore his smile like a permanent mask, Wolfram saw, feeling reminded of Conrad in that instant. Who knew what either one was actually thinking and feeling? _Not that I give two flips about this person_, he thought as he continued to watch Sara carefully. He looked completely out-of-place in the room with its dark furnishings and lack of bright illumination. The sun was still high in the sky and providing the castle with an adequate amount of light, but the central room was almost entirely blocked by thick walls and was naturally darker than other areas of the castle.

"This is basically the center of the castle. You can get to almost every part from one of the branching pathways and the staircase," Wolfram started in a formal voice, speaking impersonally as though to a large group of people rather than a single individual. "The hallway we just came from leads to all of the living quarters of the permanent residents of higher authority. The path across the way," Wolfram pointed, "is for those of lower rank and guests. Your room is probably down there."

Sara nodded. "That's where I came from, yes. You have a very nice color scheme going on here. The drab really fits in with a Mazoku castle." He chuckled a bit to himself, rubbing his thumb across his chin and smirking at Wolfram. "I jest, of course. Although my personal preference is toward brighter colors and happier themes, there's something very intriguing about the dark." A spark caught and reflected off his lavender lenses, dazzling Wolfram's eyes for a minute. "Don't you agree, Sir von Bielefeld?"

Wolfram resisted the urge to walk away, though spending time in Sara's presence was no easy task. _A snake_, he thought, finally settling on what he felt was a fitting comparison for the young king. _A serpent sheathed in a beautiful pattern of scales but biding its time to strike with a venomous bite. That's why I get such an uneasy feeling around him._ He was suddenly hyper aware of the sword resting against his hip, grateful for its comfort. _He's dangerous_.

"Look, shouldn't you be talking with Gwendal and Yuuri about the whole peace treaty thing you said you came here for?" Wolfram interjected, feeling tired all of a sudden. He remembered that he had barely gotten an ounce of restful sleep the previous night, tossing and turning and missing Yuuri's warm body in the bed beside him. To top it off, he had been throwing himself into the physical aspect of his duties and was left feeling slightly sore all over, all the time. Finishing it all with his emotional distress over Yuuri, having to be polite to someone he didn't much like was taking all of his precious energy.

"They said they would call for me when they were ready to talk. Apparently Yuuri sprung this on them somewhat unexpectedly." Sara's eyes never left Wolfram, and he could feel the heat of their weight upon his face. His teeth ground together, and for what felt like the fiftieth time, he stopped himself from lashing out at the other boy and telling him to just _go away_. "Is something the matter?"

Wolfram took in a deep breath, not trusting himself to speak just yet.

"You don't like me much, do you, Wolf?" Wolfram shot up, not realizing Sara had come so _close_ to him, close enough so that his hot, minty breath was teasing the skin of his exposed neck. He quickly put distance between himself and the other boy, struggling to find out which violation to reprimand first.

"D-don't-- I told you not to call me that," he said in an angry voice, putting on the airs of an affronted aristocrat. "And I'd appreciate it if you could respect my personal space a bit more, your Majesty." The last words had to fight their way off his tongue. He didn't feel like showing anything but contempt towards Sara at the moment, so the forced civility was a sour taste.

"Ah, but you're so interesting!" Sara said gleefully, clapping his hands together and bowing slightly forward. "I've never _met_ someone like you before who can look at me with such cold eyes." In contrast, Sara's yellow eyes were gleaming with an unbidden amount of good cheer. "I guess maybe I'm just spoiled by being so instantly loved, with so many admirers, that I can't imagine why you would dislike me so intensely. But then, I suppose it was the misunderstanding about your fiancé."

Wolfram's resolve faltered for a bit. Was Sara actually right? Had Wolfram hastily made up his mind to hate the guy when in fact it was all a mistake of false impressions? Wasn't Sara a nice enough person? Didn't he deserve a chance to--?

_No! You're just being deceived by his mojo again! Fool, how could you let your guard down so easily?_ Steadying a glare at the young king, Wolfram decided to steer the conversation to other topics. "If you follow me, we can go past Anissina's laboratory. I wouldn't touch anything suspicious-looking in there if I valued my life." The blonde made his way across the empty room towards the wing where Gwendal had sent Anissina and her inventions ("The one we can easily replace if it gets destroyed," his brother had astutely claimed, receiving a disgruntled scoff from the redhead in question).

Once in the mouth of the corridor, Wolfram turned to see that Sara had not moved from his spot in the central room. His hand was idly tracing the fabric of a chair, and his eyes were, for once, focused somewhere other than Wolfram. The smiling pretense was still plastered on his beautiful features, but there was none of the glow that his eyes had earlier possessed.

An awkward moment passed, and Sara shook his head slightly, moving his gaze back to Wolfram. "I'm sorry, I don't feel up to continuing the tour right now. Thank you for taking the time." Bowing quickly, he whirled around in a stream of gold and returned in the direction of the guest bedrooms.

Wolfram blinked, a bit confused at the abrupt change in Sara's demeanor. Thinking about it seriously for a moment, he couldn't even think of what could have triggered the transformation, though a large part of him was being bathed in relief at the fact that he was no longer forced to walk with the other boy. Yuuri might have somehow come to the opinion that Sara was a good person, but Wolfram regrettably had to fervently disagree.

"Wolfram." The voice of his older brother sounded behind him, and he turned around to face the large man. "One of our scouts reported a disturbance in the west part of town near the farmer's market. Could you go investigate, please?"

Wolfram bristled, his confusion over Sara's behavior giving way to his anger at being treated like a worthless peon. "What? That sounds like grunt work. Why would you send me off to do something so meaningless?"

Conrad smiled sympathetically, placing a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Actually, I'm sending one of the new recruits, and you're more or less going to be supervising to see how well he fares. It shouldn't take you very long, anyway."

Sighing, Wolfram resigned himself to carry out the order. "Okay, but look, if Yuuri is going to be spending time with Saralegui, make sure you're there to watch out for him. I don't trust that man."

Brown eyes settled on green, placid smile becoming a serious, hard line. "Of course. We just met him and don't know of his intentions yet. I won't let Yuuri out of my sight."

Pushing petty jealous waves aside, Wolfram took off, stopping once he had reached the spiral staircase leading to the lower part of the castle. He spoke aloud, knowing that Conrad was still where he had left him. "I mean it. Be careful. That person, Saralegui, is not normal. There's something about him that's..." Unable to finish the line, he shook his head and made his way down the steps, anxiety welling up inside him. Once he was at the foot of the stairs, he broke into a light run. He didn't want to be gone for too long.

_It's not safe._

* * *

Standing just out of sight in the hallway that led to the guest rooms, Saralegui listened to the short words exchanged between the two brothers, mouth twisted as he heard the blonde's distrustful murmurings about him. Once he heard the footsteps upon the stairs, he quickly removed his shoes and walked soundlessly to his room, being careful to open the door slowly and silently before making his way inside.

Saralegui flopped onto the impeccably made bed, toying with the soft sheets beneath his fingers as his mind recalled the picture of Wolfram's stoic face, waves of anger and envy so poorly concealed and swimming within the molten emerald of his eyes. It was exciting to him in ways he couldn't understand.

_That one is going to be a challenge._

Sara smiled, tongue snaking out of his mouth to slowly work over his moist lips. He traced his own wide smile.

And that was the best part.


End file.
